


Lattes and Lilies

by GellyBelly13



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Fluff and Humor, Language of Flowers, M/M, Prompt Fic, Romantic Fluff, TimKon Week, TimKon Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24228649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GellyBelly13/pseuds/GellyBelly13
Summary: Based off the TimKon Week 2020 Prompt: Coffee Shop/Bakery AU. I added some flower shop goodness as well, because the more cliche the better. Hope you enjoy this fluffy, pun-filled mess.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Comments: 8
Kudos: 87
Collections: TimKon Week





	Lattes and Lilies

As soon as Kon stepped out of the dingy, overpriced cab he had taken from the airport, he saw the big red and yellow sign that welcomed customers to the “Steel Magnolia” shop in downtown Gotham. Clark had opened the store about 12 years ago after he left Metropolis with Lois to start a family in Gotham, and it had done surprisingly well in the rough city economy. Kon started helping out at the shop during the summer when he was 15. He was pretty sure it was Ma’s idea. She always nagged both him and Clark to see each other more often so they could “bond.” He sighed endearingly as he thought of Ma Kent. He would miss her more than ever this summer. Kon had been so busy with his junior year of college at Metropolis University he barely got the chance to go back to the farm. Now, he was obligated to stay in this smoggy city with Clark instead of with Ma and Pa in the clear Smallville air like he wanted to. 

He took one final deep breath of the heavy, polluted air and walked into the clean air of the flower shop. 

A pleasant, “Hello, Welcome!” came from Clark as he walked out from the back. 

When Clark saw Conner at the front door, his business smile faltered a little but it didn’t leave his features. Kon didn’t really know if that was a good sign or not. 

“Hey, Clark,” Kon greeted, giving the other man a little half wave. 

“Hey, Kon. It’s good to see you.” Clark replied, moving forward to give Kon an awkward half-hug. “I’m surprised the traffic didn’t keep you from getting here before the shop closed,” he added as he pulled away. 

“Oh, there was traffic, my cab driver just didn’t believe in any street signs or the other people on the road. He drove on the sidewalk, twice,” Kon emphasized as he remembered the near heart attack his cab driver had almost given him on the way here. After so many years you would have thought Kon would be used to Gotham cab drivers. 

Clark gave a small chuckle, “Drivers here are quite daring.” 

“More like suicidal,” Kon grumbled. 

Clark’s wobbly smile turned genuine at that. “Come on, let’s get you settled. You can drop off your things in your usual room and come down whenever you’re ready to eat. A new cafe opened across the street that I think you’ll like. It’s gotten very popular recently,” Clark said as he lead the way upstairs to his apartment. 

Kon hummed in agreement, “Where are Lois and Jon?” he asked. 

“Lois is working on a major story at the planet so you may not see her for a few days,” Clark started to explain, a slight tone of concern tingining his words, “and Jon is actually already at the cafe across the street enjoying his last few hours in Gotham with a friend of his,” Clark’s tone brightened up almost immediately at the mention of Jon. Kon wasn’t surprised.

“Where is the little guy going? I thought he was staying here for the summer,” Kon questioned. The last time he had spoken to his younger brother the ten year old had been excited to spend the summer with him. 

Clark let out a strained chuckle, “Yes, well, unfortunately Jon decided to go on a last minute joy ride with a friend before he went off to summer camp and ended up crashing a car into a very expensive water fountain.” 

Kon’s eyes widened at the news, “But he’s ten, where did he even get a car from?” 

“That’s what happens when you’re best friends with one of Bruce Wayne’s sons apparently,” Clark shook his head. 

“How did Jon make friends with the son of a billionaire?” Kon asked, dumbfounded by all of this new information. 

“They apparently met at school and hit it off, but to be honest I’m not sure what the story is there,” Clark looked as puzzled as Kon felt, “But regardless, Jon is being sent to the farm to help Ma and Pa with the harvest as punishment and I hear his little friend is going to be doing some manual labor of his own to pay for the fountain he broke,” Clark just shook his head as he finished speaking. 

“Wow, and I thought Jon was supposed to be the good one,” Kon said with a small chuckle, genuinely surprised that Jon would be involved in something like this. 

Clark looked a little sad as he smiled back at Conner, and the younger man didn’t quite know what to make of it. Kon let it go for now and, instead, opted to change the subject. 

“So, what’s so great about this new cafe across the street? They helping bring more customers your way? I know you aren’t much of a coffee person” Kon asked casually as he opened the door to the spare room he used while he visited. 

Clark chuckled again and this time his smile was much more joviale, “Something like that. You’ll see.” 

Kon raised an eyebrow at how cryptic Clark was being, but decided he’d just wait and see this cafe for himself after he finished unpacking. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tim Drake hated his life. Not because his life was bad,no, far from it. His life was pretty great most days. He had a loving family that only drove him mildly insane, he got good grades in school even if he never got any sleep as a double major and he had great friends that were more supportive than they were judging. However, working for his older brother for the summer was going to be miserable even if he did want to do Dick a favor. He had to start preparing both of his senior projects, one for each of his majors, and he had to keep up with the board meetings at Wayne Enterprises. He had way too many things on his plate to try and juggle a job even if it was just a part-time one. 

But it was beyond difficult to say no to Dick when he begged. He really was a reliable older brother but man could he make puppy eyes to rival a three year old. He could even make Bruce bend to his will, and that was saying something. So what chance did Tim really have against that? None. The answer was none. So here he was, spending precious hours away from his school work and company responsibilities to help Dick by being a part-time barista at his new cafe. His only consolation was that he knew everyone who worked at the cafe, so he was at least comfortable around his coworkers. However, nothing made up for the cafe standards of greeting customers. 

The bell on the front door chimed as a new set of customers entered the store and Tim sighed internally as he plastered a fake smile on his face and greeted them with, “Welcome to the Brewtiful Robin, how may we sweeten your day?” In the background he could hear Stephanie snickering because she knew how much he hated encouraging Dick’s ridiculous puns. Tim would have rolled his eyes at her if he could. 

Tim recognized one of the customers as Mr. Kent, the father of one of Damian’s only friends and the owner of the flower shop across the street. The teen next to him, however, Tim did not recognize but he could immediately see the family resemblance. The other boy had the same crystal clear blue eyes as Mr. Kent did, but his were a tad darker and his eyes were a little rounder. He was around six feet tall, far taller than Tim but shorter than Mr. Kent, with broad shoulders, a slightly squared jaw and pretty lips. Tim momentarily forgot about keeping up his fake smile and about Steph laughing at him because this boy was one of the most handsome individuals that Tim had ever seen. The pair didn’t seem to notice that he was gawking in their direction as Mr. Kent looked up at the menu and the handsome young man looked around the store with interest. 

“Well, this is an interesting place. Don’t suppose you recommend anything off the Dick-Pick menu?” The boy said with an amused grin as he looked over at Mr. Kent, who was still eyeing the menu. 

“Well, Dick is the name of the owner, so I would say his recommendations are more trustworthy than his sense of humor,” Mr. Kent replied with a chuckle. 

Just when he was about to reply, the boy finally glanced at Tim at the cash register and his grin faltered for a moment before it turned into a warm smile as he looked at Tim, “Hey,” he greeted casually. 

“Hi,” Tim returned, still forgetting to put his customer service smile back on his face. 

“Hello, Tim,” Mr. Kent greeted. “How is Damian doing after the joy ride?” 

Remembering Damian’s ride into the manor fountain was enough to make Tim grin and stop staring at the boy in front of him. “Oh, he’ll be enjoying washing the cafe’s dishes for the rest of his summer vacation. He’s thrilled, as you can imagine,” Tim replied, grin never leaving his face as he thought about his youngest brother cursing and scrubbing dishes in the back with Cass. 

Mr. Kent chuckled. “I’m sure he’s just as excited as Jon is to be doing farm work all summer.” 

Tim laughed a little at that. “Poor kid. I’m sorry he got dragged into Damian’s ridiculous schemes.” 

“Oh, no,” Mr. Kent said as he waved his hand in front of him in dismissal, “Jon knows better than to do something like that, whether it was his idea or not. I’m sure they’ll both have time to reflect on their actions over the summer. Speaking of which, I didn’t know you were going to start working here. It’s usually Dick behind the counter when I come in and you typing away on your computer in the corner.” 

Tim laughs a bit, but his smile is strained. “Yeah, well, he needed help for the summer and he asked if I was free and, you know how Dick is, it’s hard to say no to him.” 

Mr. Kent gives him a sympathetic smile. “I can definitely understand that.” Even the florist knew how hard it could be to deny the charismatic cafe owner. Dick had convinced Clark to try almost everything on the menu and they had only been open for the better part of the year. 

Before they could continue catching up, the boy at Mr.Kent’s side clears his throat, drawing their attention to him. 

“Oh, how rude of me, let me introduce you to my son. Tim, this is Conner, he’ll be helping out at the shop over the summer. Kon, this is Tim, he’s brothers with the manager of this cafe and with Jon's friend, Damian,” Mr. Kent said, giving a slightly frazzled introduction. 

Kon whistled. “Are all the Wayne boys this pretty, or just you?” he said, giving Tim a playful wink. 

Tim turned so red he knew Steph would be able to see his red ears from the other side of the barista counter. “I-uh, what?” Tim spluttered. 

Kon just chuckled at his response. 

Mr. Kent gave Conner a disapproving look. “Don’t be so forward, Conner, you’re embarrassing him.” 

Kon waved his dad off and turned back to Tim.“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You’re just prettier than anyone I’ve ever seen in Smallville,” he said, offering Tim a shy smile. 

Tim’s cheeks got even redder at the sincere comment. “Then I guess it must be a really small town,” the shorter boy blurts out before he can stop his mouth from ruining his first meeting with the beautiful boy.

Thankfully Conner just laughs. “I guess that’s also true.” 

“Alright, that’s enough of that, “ Mr. Kent interrupts, effectively snapping TiIm out of his existential crisis. “We need to eat and get back to the shop before the evening rush. Tim, would you mind taking our orders?” 

Tim’s customer service smile was back, but it was still awkward. “Sure thing, Mr. Kent. What can I get for you?” he says, trying to sound as pleasant and professional as possible with his heart still beating a mile a minute. 

“I’ll have the Everything and the Kitchen Sink Panini and a small cat-purr-ccino, please. What about you, Kon?” he asks, turning to his son. 

“Uh,” Conner doesn’t look prepared and quickly glances back up at the menu. However, he doesn’t take long to decide and look back at Tim. “I’ll have the Dick-Pick combo with a small love-you-a-latte,” he says with a mischievous smile. 

It takes everything in Tim not to freeze up like a deer in the headlights, again. As it was, he knew he was already blushing. He stares down at the register screen in front of him as he inputs their order to avoid the other boy’s gaze. “What kind of muffin would you like with that? We have hunka hunka chocolate chunka, blue berrying and lemon poppy pucker.”

Conner bursts out laughing, “who comes up with these names?” 

“We all have the store owner to thank for that. I told you his sense of humor was interesting,” Mr. Kent says, chucking despite himself. 

Tim ignores the exchange and just stares at Conner laughing at his brother’s ridiculous names. He didn’t think the other boy could look even more handsome, but even geniuses could be wrong sometimes. 

Once Conner’s laughter calmed down he looked at Tim again, and this time his smile was even brighter than before. Tim tried his best not to blush, but he knew there was no stopping it at this point. He’d just have to look like a lobster for the rest of the day and have Steph tease him endlessly. 

“I’ll take the blue berrying muffin, thanks,” Conner says, still smiling. 

Tim tries not to read too much into that and inputs their order. Once the two Kents pay, they walk off to find a table as they wait for their order to be prepared. No sooner had the duo walked away had Steph appeared right behind Tim. 

“What was that?” she asked, with a glint in her eyes Tim really did not like. 

He sighed, “Don’t you have drinks to make or food to prepare?” 

Stephanie rolls her eyes. “Cass is taking care of the drinks and Duke is making the food. I’m free to meddle in my best friend’s love life as much as I want,” she says, sticking out her tongue at him. 

Tim could feel the blush returning, but he ignores it in favor of trying to look uninterested. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
Steph scoffs. “Oh, please. I could see your red ears from the back, rudolf, and you forgot to wipe the drool of your chin.” 

Tim just narrows his eyes at her. “I thought he was handsome, so what? I think people are attractive all the time.” 

“No, you think all people are average and only get sparkles in your eyes like a love struck middle-schooler when you think someone is really cute,” she says with a sly smirk. “I approve, by the way. Clark Jr. over there is solid 9 out of 10 on the hotness meter. Can’t wait to tell Dick he’s got some competition as the most handsome small business owner in Gotham.” 

“I’m sure he’ll be crushed at losing his non-existent title,” Tim says sarcastically. 

“Don’t change the subject, you know you want that di-” 

Before Stephanie can finish her rather colorful sentence, Duke rings the kitchen bell and announces that the Kents’ order is ready. 

“We’ll continue this later, Timmy, don’t you worry!” Stephanie announces cheerfully as she bounds over to the small kitchen window. 

Tim breathes a sigh of relief as he watches the blonde go, even though he knows this won’t be the end of it. 

As he sits by the register waiting for the next customer, he can’t help but sneak glances at Conner and Mr. Kent while they eat. He knows he’s definitely being creepy, but every time he forces himself to look away his eyes just wander back to the other boy’s slightly tanned skin and beautiful blue eyes. He thinks Conner might have caught his staring a few times, but he hopes he’s just being paranoid. 

Once the Kent’s finish eating, they bring their trays up to the front where Tim receives them since Stephanie is restocking in the back. 

“Thank you for coming, we hope you have a brew-tiful day,” Tim says his usual goodbye. 

“Thanks, Tim,” Clark says with a kind smile. “Can you tell Jon to come home as soon as you guys close? I know he wants to spend time with Damian, but he needs to wake up early tomorrow.”  
“Will do, Mr. Kent,” Tim says. 

As they start walking towards the entrance Tim relaxes his posture and customer service smile until Conner turns to face him at the door. “It was nice meeting you, Tim. I’ll see you around.” he says, aiming another beaming smile at Tim. 

Before Tim can even think of a reply, Conner is out the door and jogging across the street to catch up to Mr. Kent. The barista stared after the boy and hoped he would have time to compose himself before he saw the handsome new-comer again. 

-.-.-.-

As per usual, life didn’t go the way Tim wanted it to. The very next day, Conner Kent walked into the cafe first thing in the morning. Tim had only had one cup of coffee and was not ready for the sun’s radiance to shine on him in the form of a person this early in the morning. 

Tim tiredly squinted up at Kon (“how was he so bright?” he thought ) and forgot to give the shop’s signature greeting, something he would sorely regret but he couldn’t remember exactly why at the moment.

“Good morning, Tim,” Kon greeted cheerfully, dressed in a cute plaid button down and a pink apron with the words “Steel Magnolia” written across the chest in neat, white cursive letters. 

Before Tim could mumble out a reply, the reason for his regret walked up to the counter.

“Timmy, I didn’t hear you greet this brew-tiful customer on this brew-tiful morning,” at the sight of his older brother, Tim turned his half formed greeting into an exaggerated groan. 

“I’m sorry my little brother is such a grump, sir. He’s only had a third of his normal caffeine intake and needs at least three more shots of espresso to act like a functioning member of society,” Dick cheerily chirped, coming to stand beside the florist. 

Kon just gave a small chuckle as he turned to address Dick. “It’s no trouble at all. I know not everyone is a morning person. If I didn’t grow up on a farm, I probably wouldn’t be used to waking up this early either.” 

“Well aren’t you just the sweetest slice of all-american pie. Steph was right, I’ve got competition as stiff as cooked meringue,” Dick declared, still smiling brightly. 

“I’m sorry?” Kon asked, still smiling politely but now obviously confused. 

Dick waves him off kindly. “No need to worry your pretty little head about it, medium-sized Kent. Timmy here will take your order and show you our best customer service, won’t he?” Dick turns to Tim as he says the last part and Tim struggles to smile through his annoyance. 

“Oh course,” Tim says, making his voice sound as pleasant as possible, though they could all tell it was strained. 

“Egg-cellent,” Dick cheers, ignoring his brother’s annoyance. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Oh, and before I forget, I’m Dick,” he says, extending a hand to Kon, who takes it in a brief handshake.

“I’m the owner of this humble abode. Feel free to file any complaints about Tim’s customer service with me, and I’ll happily deduct his pay,” he tells Kon with a teasing glint in his eyes. 

This time Tim doesn’t even try and hide his annoyance when he rubs his hand down his face in exasperation. “Quit it, Dick. You and I both know Babs isn’t gonna let you dock my pay for fun. Besides, if Conner was gonna complain about one of us, my money is on you.” 

“Pish-posh, everyone loves me,” Dick dismisses the jab and turns back to Kon. “I hope our coffee makes your day a little brighter, Mr. florist. Tell Clark I say hello, and I’ll see you latte!” With that, the eccentric store owner sonters off to make sure the rest of the store is in order and to check on the rest of his staff. 

“Well, he was...something,” Conner says, a little dumbfounded by the overly-cheery store owner. Clark was right when he said he was an interesting guy. 

Tim laughed at that and Kon was momentarily stunned by how cute he looked. “Yeah, well, Dick has that impression on people. Now, what can I get you farm-boy?” he said, jokingly. 

Kon was taken aback by the sudden playfulness, but was more than happy to play along. “Oh, I see you’ve made it past your stuttering phase. Maybe you do need all that coffee to function properly,” he teased back, eyeing the empty cup of coffee Tim had downed at some point while Dick was talking.  
Tim knew the caffeine had definitely helped, but Dick breaking the ice had ultimately been what made him relax enough to talk to Conner without acting like a dazed fool. 

“What can I say, I’m fueled by coffee like you’re fueled by the early morning sun, apparently.” 

Kon laughs. “Well, can’t say there’s too much sun here in Gotham. No offence, but your city is kind of doom and gloom compared to Smallville.” 

“I’m sure all 5 people who live in Smallville would agree with you.” Tim said, giving the boy a teasing smirk. 

“Wow, ouch,” Conner replied, feigning hurt, “There are 10 of us, thank you very much. And I’m sure Clark also agrees even though he doesn’t live there anymore.” 

Tim just giggled, which made Conner’s smile widen. He marveled at how easy it was to joke with this boy even though they had only met yesterday. 

“Speaking of Clark, shouldn’t you be helping him open the store? I’m assuming that’s why you’re up this early in your very pink shop apron to get coffee?” Tim asks more seriously, although Kon can still see the mischief in his eyes. 

Kon suddenly remembers Clark had sent him to get coffee and he hadn’t even bothered to order anything yet. Apparently he was more distracted by the cute cashier than he had thought. He plays it off easily, though, and keeps the playfulness from earlier in his voice when he responds. “Oh, shoot, you caught me. This apron isn’t, in fact, a fashion statement, and I was totally not avoiding going to work.” 

Tim grinned at his antics. “Well, consider yourself lucky that I’m not a snitch and will happily take your order regardless of your ulterior motives.” 

“Awesome, because I’d really like another love-you-a-latte, a large one this time. And a large order of the bird brew, too,” Kon said, unable to stop himself from beaming at the grin on Tim’s face. 

“Coming right up,” Tim said, imputing both drinks. “I’ll go ask Cass to make them so they actually come out good.” 

Kon only laughs as Tim walks to the back to ask his sister to help him make the drinks. He was technically a trained barista, but no one could make coffee like Cass and Alfred. He also, maybe, wanted to give Kon more reasons to come back, and coffee was addicting after all. 

The cashier came out of the back with both drinks in hand and gave them to Kon, ignoring how his heart did a little flip when their fingers brushed. “You’re all set, hope you have a frapp-tastic day,” he said kind of embarrassed, but he knew Dick was still lurking in the shop and would no doubt appear to annoy him again if he forgot to say his mandatory farewell, no matter how cringe it was. 

Kon just shook his head in amusement. “These puns never end, huh?” 

“Not if Dick has anything to say about it,” Tim replied with a long suffering sigh. 

Kon just laughed, again. “I better get going before Clark actually shows up to drag me back to the shop. I’ll see you tomorrow, Tim. Hope you have a good day at work.” The florist offers Tim another blinding grin and turns to exit the shop. 

“Tomorrow” Tim thinks excitedly with a grin of his own spreading on his face. His summer was starting to look up.

-.-.-.-

From then on, Conner’s visits to the shop were almost a daily occurrence. Tim even stopped by the flower shop on his way home sometimes just to talk to Kon a bit longer and put off getting back to his studies. 

Even though they were studying different things (Kon was going to school to be a paramedic and Tim was a business and computer science double major) the two had a surprising amount of similar interests. They both loved strategy games like Civilization and Warcraft, although Kon also fancied FPS games while Tim preferred MMOs. They also both loved to watch shitty action movies and had the same bad taste in every other movie genre according to Stephanie, who refused to admit “Rubber” was an French classic. 

The florist and the barista became quick friends and Tim was starting to feel like he didn’t want his part-time job at the Brewtiful Robin to end if it meant seeing Kon every day. 

“So, when are you gonna ask him out?” Stephanie asked as she popped up behind him. 

Tim sighed. The afternoon rush had just ended and he was beat. “What are you talking about?” 

“Don’t play dumb with me you little smarty pants. I’m talking about your very obvious crush on your little florist friend,” She said, crossing her arms and giving Tim a challenging look. 

Tim knew he wasn’t going to get out of this conversation easily so he just slumped into the seat behind the register in defeat. “I can’t ask him out, Steph. He’s leaving at the end of summer.” 

Stephanie looked unimpressed by his answer. “So? It’s not like Metropolis University is at the other end of the globe. You could see each other during the semester if you wanted it- and don’t try to say you’ll be too busy because you’ve been a double major for 3 years and still make time for all your random Wayne Corp. business trips, so I’m sure you can make time for a little romance, too,” she said sternly, not letting Tim even argue. 

Tim sighed again. “It’s not that simple.” 

“Yes it is,” she insisted. “You’re a genius. I’m sure figuring out a long-distance relationship isn’t as hard as the literal rocket science you had to learn last semester.” 

“It wasn’t that hard,” he mumbled under his breath. 

She just rolled her eyes at him. “My point is, you shouldn’t hold yourself back just because you think this thing has a time limit. Ask him out, see where it goes, and if you don’t want to keep things going with him, write it off as a summer fling. But given the way you both make moon-eyes at each other, I’m sure a summer fling won’t be all this is by the end of it.” 

Tim looked down and thought about it. He knew she was right, she usually was. He could always feel the subtle tension when they bantered (or shamelessly flirted, according to Dick and Stephanie) at the cafe counter. He appreciated Kon as a friend, but he also knew he wanted more and he was just too scared to go for it. 

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game,” Bruce would say. And although Tim always headed his adoptive father’s words when it came to important business decisions, he didn’t know if he was ready to apply it to other aspects of his life. 

“I still don’t know, Steph,” he said, shaking his head to try and get a better grip on his thoughts. 

“Well, why don’t I give you a little incentive?” she said, wickedly. 

Tim did not like the sound of that. 

He eyed her suspiciously. “What do you mean by incentive?” 

“If you don’t ask him out by the end of the summer, I’m going to tell Damian about your little crush on his best friend’s big brother.”  
Tim’s eyes widened comically before narrowing into slits. “You wouldn’t dare,” he said with as much venom in his voice as he could muster. 

Stepahnie just grinned at him, devilishly, not even remotely intimidated by his words or glare. “Oh, I would so dare. I guarantee you he’ll be simultaneously telling Jon and trying to actively gut Conner in less than ten minutes.” 

Tim groaned and lowered his head to the counter, burying his face in his arms. He knew she was completely serious, and that was the worst part about this entire situation. The last time he doubted her threats she had sent Bruce a video of him complaining about how bad Bruce’s cooking was while he was drunk. He shivered at the memory and the subsequent meals Bruce had made to prove he wasn’t that bad at cooking. 

The shop’s bell chimed and Tim raised his head before goraning again when he saw who it was. Stephanie only laughed at his misery. 

“Oh, and here comes the perfect chance to avoid your demon baby brother going on a rampage,” she teased before greeting the most recent addition to their ‘regulars’ list. “Welcome back to the Brewtiful Robin, Conner.” 

Kon, as always, greeted them both with a dazzling smile. Tim tried really hard not to focus on how Kon’s eyes sparked when he smiled like that. Stupid, perfect baby blues. 

“Hey guys, how’s it going?” he asks, giving Tim a curious look. The cashier was still hunched over the counter and pouting. 

“We’re having a frapp-tastic time recovering from the afternoon rush, but Timmy here seems to be out of steam,” she says, giving Tim’s shoulder a patronizing pat. “Guess I’ll go make him a little pick-me-up while he takes your order. Good seeing you, Kon.” And with that, Tim’s devious blonde friend makes her smooth exit, leaving Tim alone with Kon way too soon after his conversation with Stephanie. 

“You doing alright, Tim? Your 50 senior projects got you fried?” Kon teased, but Tim could tell there was some genuine concern in his voice. 

The other boy’s worry made Tim smile softly. He tried not to think too hard about the limited time they had or Stephanie’s “incentive” because at the very least, he was going to enjoy the time he did have with Kon. 

“Yeah, I think I pulled too many all-nighters in a row,” Tim said, hoping Kon wouldn’t catch the fib. He definitely did not want to talk about what Stephanie had said to him. 

“For being so book smart, you really aren’t life smart, huh? Contrary to your popular belief, humans need sleep, even the super smart ones,” Kon said, shaking his head at Tim. 

“And florists should leave the life advice to the professionals,” Tim teased back, with an easy smirk adorning his lips. It was always easy to talk to Kon like this. 

The taller boy just rolled his eyes, but smiled at Tim nonetheless. 

Before the silence between them could grow awkward, Tim stood up and began tapping on the register screen. “So, what can I get for you today mister advice columnist?” he asked, playfully.

“Hmmm, I think I want to try something new. Maybe the Bombarda Butterscotch Brew. Clark said it kinda tastes like a root beer float, but I don’t believe him,” Kon said, eyeing the menu above him.

Tim laughs. “I wouldn’t know about that, but I don’t think you should be calling your dad a liar.” 

Kon frowned. “You’ve never had that drink before? Aren’t baristas supposed to know what all their drinks taste like?” 

“No, I’ve tried the triple B before. What kind of Harry Potter fan would I be if I didn’t give it my seal of approval?” Tim said with a shrug.

“Wait, does that mean you’ve never had a root beer float?! does Gotham not have diners?” Conner says, seemingly appalled that Tim had never tasted a drink that was more popular in the 50’s than now. 

“Of course Gotham has diners. I just haven’t been to many. A rootbeer float isn’t exactly an item on my bucket list.”

Kon just shook his head in mock pity. “You don’t know what you’re missing out on. You poor little rich kid. So sheltered from the world you haven’t even been allowed to experience the small wonders in life, like a commoners root beer float.” 

Tim rolled his eyes at Kon’s dramatics. “I’m sure I’ll somehow survive without ever getting a sugar rush from the frankly questionable combination of root beer and vanilla ice cream,” he says sarcastically. 

“Nope. I can’t let a friend of mine die without knowing what a root beer float tastes like. I would be a failure as a friend, and most of all, as a human being,” Kon continued his antics. 

“So, what are you gonna do about it? Make me one?” Tim questioned, quirking a brow at his friend. 

Kon smiled. “No, I’m going to take you to a diner in this dreary city that serves this perfect dessert drink. Rule #1 of root beer floats: you have to get them at a 50’s themed diner or you aren’t doing it right,” he said, lifting his index finger for emphasis. 

Tim felt his heart speed up, was Conner asking him out? No, right? He just wanted Tim to try a root beer float. The shorter boy didn’t dwell on that for long before answering. “If you can find a diner that serves it nearby, which I doubt, I’ll happily have one just to tell you how wrong you are.” 

Kon’s smile only widened at the challenge. “You’re on, rich boy. I’ll have you drinking a root beer float and eating your words by this Friday.” 

“We’ll see,” was all Tim said before Kon finally placed his drink order. 

It didn’t take long for Stephanie to bring Kon his drink and the florist left with a promise of seeing Tim after work on Friday, which immediately piqued Steph’s interest. 

“What was that I just heard about meeting up on Friday? Did you actually woman up and take my advice?” she asked excitedly. 

“Before you jump to conclusions, we’re just hanging out as friends. We’re going to a diner to have root beer floats because Kon swears I’m missing out if I never try one,” Tim explained calmly. 

Stephanie just gave him a skeptic look. “Sure. Whatever you say, Tim. Just know that if this isn’t a date, which it totally is, my incentive is still on the table, so you better get that scrawny butt of yours in gear and ask him out soon. Time’s a wastin’.” 

With that, she returned to bussing tables and left Tim to think about the invitation and convince himself that it was definitely not a date. 

-.-.-.-

Tim took off his black work polo that had more than a few coffee stains on it by now and decided to just throw on his red jacket over the white t-shirt he wore under his work polo. Regardless of what Stephanie had said earlier, this was not a date and there was no reason for him to worry about looking a certain way. He and Kon had just agreed to casually hang out at a diner after Kon’s shift at the flower shop ended. Was it the first time they were going to hang out after hours? Maybe. But that didn’t make it a date.Because if it were, Tim would be much more nervous. 

Tim looked down at his watch and it read 4:00 in the afternoon. Kon’s shift would be ending in about an hour, so Tim figured he could go hang around the flower shop or the shops beside it until then. He most certainly wouldn’t be waiting at the coffee shop after already being there for almost ten hours. He closed his locker, spun the dial to ensure it was locked, and then exited through the back door of the shop. 

Tim quickly walked across the street, careful to avoid any reckless drivers that didn’t know how to respect a crosswalk. When he made it safely across, he noticed Kon was currently helping a customer inside the store. Tim decided to wait outside while Kon finished helping the elderly woman inside and distracted himself with the colorful flower display decorating the storefront. Clark really knew how to make the Steel Magnolia storefront look appealing in every season. Now that it was summer, all the flowers painted the tiny storefront in warm pinks, oranges and yellows to match the warm summer atmosphere. Although there were more rainy days in Gotham than sunny ones, even in the summer, the colorful displays still fit the season and caught your attention as you walked by. Tim was looking at a particularly stunning assortment of sunflowers when he heard the shop’s bright bell chime. He turned to see Kon opening the shop door to let the elderly woman out. She was carrying a moderately sized bouquet that was beautifully arranged with a mix of white lilies and baby's breath. She smiled politely at Tim when she saw him and thanked Conner warmly before taking her leave. Conner waved at her before turning to greet Tim with a smile. “Hey! You done for the day?” 

“Yeah. Just got off work a few minutes ago,” Tim replied with a slight shrug. Kon was wearing a black and red flannel shirt, as usual, and one of the shop’s pink aprons around his waist. Tim was embarrassed to admit that he always thought Kon looked especially handsome wearing the apron. 

“Awesome. I should be off in about half an hour. Sorry to make you wait when I was the one who invited you to hang out,” Kon said a little sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

Tim smiled reassuringly, “Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind waiting here for a bit.”

Kon smiled back and a few beats of comfortable silence passed between them before Kon spoke again. “Well, we might as well make this fun while we wait for my shift to end. Care for a lesson on the language of flowers?” Kon gave him a crooked grin and Tim couldn’t stop his own smile from growing. 

“Lessons during summer vacation? Seems counterproductive,” Tim feigned scepticism. 

Kon snorted, “Says the biggest nerd I know. How many books did you say you’ve already read to prepare for your senior project?”

Tim shoved Conner’s arm as he let out a light laugh, “First of all, calling someone a nerd is rude. And second of all, I’ve only read about half the books I’m supposed to so that’s not that much.” 

Kon just kept smiling teasingly, he loved making Tim laugh. “Normal people don’t do any school work at all during the summer, so I’m sorry to say that it’s already too late for you, Tim. You’ve crossed into nerd territory and there’s no going back now.” 

Tim shoved Kon just a little harder this time, “Oh, shut up. Just tell me what these pink flowers mean mister ‘I’m too cool to read a book every once in a while’.” 

Kon brushed off the insult with another snort and turned to look at the flowers that Tim was pointing at. “That’s a pink Dahlia. They mean a happy union and are super popular for weddings and anniversaries. Each color Dahlia is also supposed to represent a marriage milestone, but that’s not so much a meaning as it is a tradition,” Kon informed. 

Tim looked at the large blooming flower thoughtfully and hummed in acknowledgment, “What about the purple ones above the Dahlias?”

Kon moved in a little closer to inspect the little purple and blue flowers on display. “Those are anemones, not to be confused with that sea plant that Nemo lived in,” he said with a cheeky grin.

Tim just rolled his eyes at Kon’s lame joke, but his lips twitched up into a small smile regardless. “Your hilarious,” he said flatly, “Now are you going to tell me what they mean or keep making lame jokes?

“I can do both, but I’ll spare you for now,” Kon said with a small laugh. The grin didn’t leave his face as he started talking again, “So, as I was saying, those are anemone and when they come in purple or blue they usually mean “protection from illness or evil.” White anemone are mostly used for funerals though, so we usually only offer them as a special order.”

“Do they come in more colors?” Tim asked, curiously, gently touching one of the anemone petals. 

“Yeah I think they come in pink and red, too. We don’t have any in stock right now but those usually symbolize passion or lost love,” Kon explains as he stares intently at the flowers in thought, trying to make sure he remembered the anemone’s meanings correctly. 

“Oh, that makes sense. In Greek mythology, anemones grew when Aphrodite cried over Adonis’s death and his blood turned the flowers red. It just never stated what color they were originally,” Tim commented idly as his eyes started to wander to the other flowers on display. 

“Wow, way to upstage the teacher. I bet your professors don’t like you very much,” Kon said as he gave Tim a disapproving look, or his best attempt at one. 

Tim playfully shoved the taller boy again, and shook his head in exasperation “Shut up. My professors love me, well most of them anyway. It’s my classmates who hate it when I comment on something in class.” 

“Sadly, we all can’t be as smart as you, Tim. But don’t worry, I don’t mind you upstaging me because it makes me feel like less of a nerd for knowing all this.” Kon shrugged, but gave Tim a teasing grin. 

Tim smiled and shook his head again, “Alright flower nerd, what do sunflowers mean? I can guess that they have something to do with happiness, but far be it from me to take away your thunder again.” 

“Aw, how considerate of you,” Kon said as he continued to grin. “Well, my genius friend, while you’re not wrong about their meaning, you aren’t completely right either. Sunflowers are special because they’re meaning doesn’t change based on the color, it changes based on the occasion. If you give them as a housewarming gift, they’re supposed to brighten the room and promote a happy future in the new space. You can also give them to someone at the hospital to uplift their spirits cause sunflowers are also seen as a source of life and vitality.” 

Tim just stood and listened to Kon get lost in his explanation. He watched as Kon’s brow slightly furrowed in thought as he told him about each significant occasion and meaning, which he must have taken a lot of time to learn himself. Kon didn’t drop his bravado very often, but when he talked about flowers he was always a little more honest in the way he held himself and his expressions were always easier to understand. Tim focused all his attention on the smooth timber of Kon’s voice and tried his best to pay attention to every word. 

“Sunflowers can even mean, “I adore you,” if you give them to someone special to you. I personally think it’s way more original to give someone a sunflower for Valentine’s Day. Imagine everyone getting typical, boring roses and your significant other gives you a huge bouquet of sunflowers? Now that would make me feel special,” Kon said matter of factly as he crossed his arms and turned his attention back to Tim to make his point. 

Tim was caught off guard by Kon suddenly turning in his direction and was momentarily stunned by his bright, blue eyes, “Uh, are you saying you want sunflowers for Valentine’s Day?” 

Kon just laughed, “That wasn’t really the point but I guess I wouldn’t mind them,” he shrugged. 

Tim wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he kept the conversation moving, “So, do you have a favorite flower or meaning?” He asked instead. 

Kon’s smile faded from his features as his expression changed from cheerful to contemplative. He hummed in thought as he looked at the flowers in the front display. His eyes brightened slightly as he focused one of the stands filled with bouquets. Kon plucked a small red tulip out of one of the finished bouquets on display and turned to Tim with a reserved smile on his lips. Tim raised an eyebrow curiously at Kon’s sudden change in mood, but glaced at the small flower held in Kon’s hands as he waited for the taller boy to speak.

“Red tulips,” Kon finally spoke, “which are also more original than roses and just as meaningful, by the way,” he tried to keep his voice playful, but Tim could tell it was more forced than before. 

“What do they mean?” Tim asked. 

Kon’s smile faltered a bit and he took a little too long to answer. He looked down at the red tulip in his hand and started to fiddle with the stem. “Well, purple ones mean ‘royalty and elegance’. Yellow ones mean ‘hope’ and orange ones mean ‘understanding.’ White tulips mean, ‘I’m sorry,’ and red ones mean-” Kon’s voice cut off abruptly as he finally looked up at Tim, again. 

Tim couldn’t quite read the look on Kon’s face. It was a mix of hesitance, nervousness and something else Tim couldn’t place. The one thing he did know was that this was the most vulnerable he had ever seen Kon look in the few months they had known each other and it unnerved him. However, he didn’t have much time to keep analyzing his friend because Kon reached over and placed the small tulip in his hair. As the stem sat on his ear, Tim’s eyes widened and he completely lost his train of thought. 

Kon kept his hand close to Tim’s face and looked a little more confident when he spoke next, “Red tulips mean ‘Believe me, for my feelings are true,’ and are often used as a declaration of affection…” Kon’s voice trailed off at the end and he gently ran his finger through Tim’s dark hair before stepping away, blushing furiously. Tim was sure his own face was just as red, if not more, than the tulip currently sitting in his hair. Kon has a small and wobbly smile on his face as Tim stares at him, still a little stunned by the sudden confession. Tim could tell that Kon was trying to hide the apprehension in his gaze, but the taller boy was never very good at concealing his emotions. 

Kon couldn’t take the silence, and finally looked away from Tim’s shocked expression. His eyes shone with dismay and his voice was a little shaky as he rubbed the back of his neck, a motion he often used to cover up his embarrassment. “Told you it was more romantic than a rose,” Kon tried for another joke, but his forced laugh made it fall flat. 

Tim was at a loss, he knew he had a crush on Kon, but this confession seemed like more than just a silly summer crush and Tim didn’t know if he was prepared for that. However, seeing Kon’s spirits slowly being crushed in front of him made his heart ache for the other boy. The last expression Tim wanted to see on Kon’s face was sadness, especially if it was because of him. 

After a painfully long stretch of silence, Tim finally found his voice, “ I-Um…” He tried, wanting to say something to reassure Kon, but not being able to formulate proper words fast enough. 

Kon gave him a sad, lopsided smile, “It’s alright, you don’t have to say anything. I didn’t mean to make it weird for you. We don’t have to go to the diner after my shift if you feel uncomfortable.” 

“No, no,” Tim scrambled for something to say as he grabbed Kon’s forearm to keep him from trying to leave, “I, uh, um,” 

Tim looked up to see Kon staring down at him, half hopeful and half like he wanted to run back into the flower shop. Tim knew he had to say something quickly before it was too late, so he said the first thing that came to mind, “Thank you.” 

Kon just raised a brow in confusion, “You’re welcome?” 

Tim’s blush went two shades darker and he was now certain he was more scarlet than the tulip still in his hair, “That’s not what I meant,” he quickly corrected, trying to take back his words, “not that I’m not grateful for your feelings, but that’s not exactly what I wanted to say. This is just all so sudden and I wasn’t prepared at all when I left work to come over here to get a confession from the guy that I’ve been crushing on for a month now and I never thought this silly crush would ever go anywhere because you’re only here for the summer and you never really seemed interested in more than being my friend, and you have really, really pretty eyes and a really, really handsome smile, and I never thought that you would do something so sweet and cheesy and-” 

Kon just stood there, wide-eyed as Tim just kept saying everything that came to his mind to try and fix the situation. After a few more seconds of hearing Tim ramble, Kon’s face lit up and his lips stretched into a grin so large it looked like it might hurt. 

Tim was too busy thinking of the right things to say to notice Kon’s change in demeanor. He barely had a second to realize that Kon was tilting his face up before he felt very warm lips press against his own, effectively ending his embarrassing rant. Tim was too stunned to register exactly what was happening, but feeling Kon’s full lips pull into a smile against his mouth made his stomach do a flip and his heart race. 

Kon pulled away before Tim ever got the chance to reciprocate the kiss, but the taller boy was smiling brightly nonetheless. The sight almost took Tim’s breath away, but then the events of the last few minutes finally caught up to him and he just ended up blushing fiercely and looking around the very public sidewalk to see how many people had witnessed his brief kiss with Kon. And even if Tim couldn’t see into the Brewtiful Robin clearly from across the street, he was almost positive that someone who worked there had seen the kiss and he was sure Stephanie and Dick would be teasing him about it as soon as he got home tonight. After looking around in a slight panic, Tim finally looked back at Kon, who was still standing there smiling at him, and he felt some of his anxiety wane at the sight of that brilliant smile and those bright, blue eyes. 

“I don’t get a thank you for that, too?” Kon joked, his tone teasing, but his smile still warm. 

Tim felt his face heat up even more and he was positive none of this was good for his blood pressure. “Man, that was so lame,” he said as he buried his face in his hands. 

Kon just laughed brightly, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly from the stretch of his smile and his bubbling laughter. 

Tim thought he could get used to that sound. Even if he did have to suffer through drinking a root beer float later on, he hoped he could have many more moments like this with Conner.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this short and sweet fic! I originally had a different idea for TimKon Week, but I ended up scrapping it last minute because I really didn't like how it was turning out. So, instead, I came up with this super last minute. Hope it's still okay lol Here's a link to the lovely artwork I had commission a few years back by the amazing Neukgol when I orignally had this idea in passing: https://animegelly13.tumblr.com/post/618338903582179328/the-little-bat-cafe-gellybelly13-batman-all


End file.
